Method of forming self-fluxing ingots



. Aug. 12, 194L I M. E. GREENHOW ETAL 2,252,371

METHOD OF FORMING SELF-FLUXING INGOTS Filed April 18. 1939 thereof, in which- I Patented Aug. 12, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF FORIVIING SELF-FLUXING INGOTS Macon E. Greenhow and Ralph N. Jacobson, San Francisco, Calif., assignors to American Smelting and Refining Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application April 18, 1939, Serial No. 268,475

1 Claim.

flux core so that upon remelting the ingot, the I flux is automatically released within the bath to perform its function.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be par ticularly pointed out in the claim appended hereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages, and the manner in which itmay be carried out, may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming apart Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through an ingot mold and an ingot provided with a suitable flux core; and

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I is a cast iron ingot mold having vent I? in the bottom thereof. Within the mold I0 is ingot l4 containing a core of flux I6 provided with a central vent I8. The flux core I6 is provided with a base portion 20 which is of lesser diameter than the body of the core in the ingot l4 and which is seated in the recess 22 in the bottom of mold II).

In forming the ingot, the base portion 20 of the flux core is inserted in the recess 22 in the bottom of the mold III, the base portion 20 preferably being of such diameter as will secure the core in place by friction between the sides of the base portion 20 and the walls of the recess 22 thereby rendering the use of adhesives or the like unnecessary. The molten metal is then introduced into the mold where it surrounds and covers the core l6. Any gases evolved from the core as a result of the contact of same with the molten metal are free to pass to the atmosphere via vents l8 and I2 in the flux core and mold, respectively. Upon dumping the solidified ingot from the mold, the base portion 20, being of a friable nature, readily fractures at a point along the upper part of the recess 22 so that the ingot contains the body of the flux core.

Upon remelting the ingot the flux is released in the body of the bath which is, of course, an ideal position from the standpoint of attaining maximum efiiciency in the performance of its function. Further, by automatically fluxing metal in this manner, there is no opportunity for the addition of the flux to be overlooked by the user. Also, the invention provides a ready method for introducing an exact predetermined amount of flux at all times with' any particular composition.

It will be readily apparent to those skilledin the art that the principles of the invention are capable of use with a great many different; compositions both as regards the metal of the ingot and the contained flux. The following specific adaptations of the invention, and which may beoven after which it is ready for insertion in the ingot mold asheretofore described.

What is claimed is! The method of forming a self-fiuxing ingot which comprises forming a flux core having a base portion of lesser cross-sectional area than the body portion thereof, positioning said core in a metal mold having a recess in the bottom thereof adapted to receive and secure said base portion, encasing said core by the introduction of molten metal into the mold, solidifying the metal, and removing the ingot from the mold as a consequence of which the base portion of the core is severed from the flux-cored ingot.

MACON E. GREENHOW. RALPH N. 'JACOBSON.

A vent is provided in the core and the latter removed to the baking 

